


Hunt

by silence_since_silence



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Backstory, Canon Era, Canon-Typical Violence, Creature Fic, Gen, Homelessness, Human Trafficking, Humor, Hunt Gone Wrong, Kidnapping, Kindness, Magic, Mind Control, Nature, Original Character Death(s), alternate plane of existence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-01-08 00:36:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21226880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silence_since_silence/pseuds/silence_since_silence
Summary: Merlin practices some magic in the castle. When a spell has an unexpected effect, his whole day falls apart.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [Camelot_Drabble](http://camelot-drabble.livejournal.com).
> 
> Unusual change: Geoffrey is a trusted ally to Merlin.
> 
> Been a long while since my last post. I used a lot of prompts from that time in this fic.

A wave of water tall enough to hit the ceiling erupts out of the dry stone floor of the library, and Merlin realizes his mistake after it's already too late. The initial wave drags behind it a flood that fills the rows and soaks the stacks. It sweeps Merlin off his feet and, as though it has a mind and a plan, throws him into the side of Geoffrey's desk.  
  
When the water stops rushing, Merlin stands up. This brings him face-to-face with Geoffrey, whose grip on his desk has not yet relaxed from fighting against the current.  
  
Geoffrey's face has gone pale, and the look of shock and mounting anger there explains the dangerously calm tone of voice he uses next.  
  
"Enough of your hocus pocus in the library, Merlin. Get out of here and find a quiet place to practice your water spells that isn't all over my books."  
  
Merlin slows time for himself and casts a drying spell over the stacks. When he is satisfied that everything is undamaged, he brings time back to normal and runs out of the library before Geoffrey has a chance to say anything else. The last time Merlin messed up in the library, Geoffrey threatened him with a head injury via four hundred page tome.  
  
As he rounds the first corner outside the library, someone calls to him from behind.  
  
"Merlin? What happened? You're leaving puddle footprints on the floor."  
  
It's Gwen. Merlin turns around to speak to her and sees the slippery mess he's been trailing behind him. Before he even makes eye contact with her, he realizes he dried the books but forgot to dry himself.  
  
He meets Gwen's eyes after noting the heavy laundry basket in her arms and the way she stopped right before stepping in one of his puddles.  
  
"Oh, I, uh, didn't realize. Sorry Gwen, I'll dry, um, I'll get a–"  
  
"Merlin, nothing to worry about, I'll just go up the other stairs," Gwen says. She smiles, then hitches her basket up a bit. Before she turns away, she says, "Make sure to dry yourself off, too. Might want to change, since you smell like fish and Arthur's looking for you."  
  
Merlin watches her walk back the way she came. When she turns a corner and is out of sight, he looks around himself to make sure nobody else is there then conjures a mop and empty bucket. If anyone comes across Merlin after coming across Gwen in a hallway, they'll expect to see Merlin cleaning. If the mop is especially absorbent to help Merlin do the job faster while appearing to look normal, nobody but Gaius will fault him for it.  
  
He finishes mopping, checks his surroundings again, vanishes the mop and bucket, and dries himself off with a blast of warm wind all before Arthur manages to find him.  
  
"Merlin!" Arthur only shouts at Merlin in this tone when he's angry at someone else. "Where have you been! Pack us a meal and prepare the horses. I'll meet you in the courtyard."  
  
As Arthur turns away, Merlin asks, "Where are we going?"  
  
Arthur turns back to bite out, "We're going on a hunt. Now get moving! I want to be gone before the sun changes position!"  
  
Merlin can hear Arthur stomp his way down the entire hallway.


	2. Part 2

It isn't until they've been riding through the forest for a quarter of an hour without speaking that Merlin hears Arthur take a deep, calming breath. Releasing some of the tension leaves the set of his shoulders looking more natural.  
  
Merlin finds himself wanting to massage more tension out of Arthur's shoulders with his own hands. He is nudging his horse closer to Arthur's to do just that before he even realizes what he's doing.  
  
He pulls on his horse's reins to slow her back into an appropriate following distance, but finds his hands have not obeyed his mind. He is still getting closer to Arthur.  
  
He speaks to warn Arthur that something is wrong, but his mouth never moves.  
  
His right hand, though, has let go of half of the reins and is reaching out toward Arthur's neck.  
  
Horrified and unable to gain control over his body, Merlin can only watch whatever is to come.  
  
It is with relief that he sees Arthur turn a questioning look in Merlin's direction when Merlin's horse brushes against Arthur's leg. Arthur sees something in Merlin's face, and his quick thinking has them both off the horses and Merlin pinned and immobile beneath him on the forest floor in seconds.  
  
"What's going on, Merlin?" Arthur asks.  
  
Merlin speaks, but his mouth never moves to let out any sound. His eyes keep him staring into Arthur's eyes.  
  
When Merlin's magic does finally sense something, he can't even look over Arthur's shoulder in warning.  
  
Again, Arthur's reflexes earn their keep. In one swift movement, he rolls to the side and pulls out a knife.   
  
Merlin sits up to help, and miraculously finds his body responding to him again.  
  
Arthur stands a few feet away with his knife drawn. In front of him is something hulking and feathered. It's as tall as a bear and has the claws to match. Arthur's short knife won't allow him to keep his distance.  
  
Merlin shifts slowly, so slowly, in the direction of the one bag of hunting gear that the horses managed to drop in their flight from this strange creature. Merlin sees that it's the bag with the quiver of arrows and the bow. He would have preferred Arthur's sword for the skill of its user and the size of the opponent, but bow and arrow will have to suffice.  
  
Arthur clocks Merlin moving and deftly turns the creature so that he can see Merlin beyond it without looking away. This move is a tactical disadvantage if Merlin is still a threat because it allows Merlin to get closer to the weapons. Merlin makes a series of incomprehensible small hand gestures meant to indicate that he's in control of his own body again. Arthur looks satisfied that his bumbling manservant is once again himself, and Merlin continues to inch toward the bag as silently as possible.  
  
The feathered creature must be done waiting: it lashes out at Arthur, and Merlin makes a dash for the bag while Arthur dodges the claws. He gets to the bow and knocks an arrow.  
  
"Merlin!" Arthur warns.  
  
How could he have been so foolish as to turn his back to the threat? He should have grabbed the bag and sought a more secure position. Merlin turns to look, and feels an entire leg crash against him. He goes flying back into some low bushes, which he quickly has to struggle out of to avoid the clawed paw aiming for his face.  
  
But when he looks at the creature again, there is something wrong. It's blurry, and the image seems to be two images flickering between one another.  
  
Merlin rolls away from another blow and finds slippery footing as he tries to stand and run to another position. He hears a roar of pain and looks to his left to see Arthur with an empty bow and the creature with an arrow sticking out of the back of its neck.  
  
The creature falls face first to the ground. Arthur approaches with his knife ready to plunge.  
  
"Wait!" Merlin shouts.  
  
Arthur sizes him up for signs of further mind control.  
  
"There's something wrong with it," Merlin explains. "It's not right. Do you see?" He points at the paws which are also wings and hands.  
  
Arthur must see something, because he holds his position.  
  
They wait the length of several speeding heartbeats, and the creature, while immobile on the ground, changes. First it is made of feathers and claws and size. Then come the wings, but there are no more claws. Then it has wings with scales, and Merlin's heart skips a beat while hoping for a dragon. Then the wings shrink down to arms and the scales smooth out into skin. Layers of creatures fade away, and a small human boy is left behind... with an arrow sticking out of his spine.  
  
"Oh my–" Merlin starts as he rushes over to the boy.  
  
"Merlin," Arthur warns, "he may still be dangerous. Remember caution."  
  
Merlin heeds this advice and takes a physician's approach as he has been taught to do by Gaius. He gently inspects the boy's wound and vital signs. He also looks for clues to the boy's origins, including any signs of enchantment.  
  
What he finds is a leaking wound, a slowing heart rate, somewhat dated clothing, and no response to Merlin's risky attempt to communicate mind to mind. The boy is dying, out of his own time, and either not magical or too close to his end to respond.  
  
Merlin falls back from crouching to sitting and scrubs a hand down his face.  
  
Arthur must see the defeat in this motion, because he puts a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "Merlin. He was attacking us. There was nothing else we could do."  
  
Merlin sighs. "I don't understand," he says. "Where did he come from? Why did he do this? Was it even his choice?"  
  
"What happened to you?" Arthur asks.  
  
Merlin looks up at Arthur, and there's distress in his eyes. "I wasn't in control of my body. I was suddenly reaching for your neck, and I couldn't even speak to warn you." He looks back down at the boy. "Did this boy do that? Was the creature in charge? Is someone else pulling the strings from afar? This makes no sense." Merlin's hands push into his hair.  
  
Arthur shakes Merlin's shoulder. "Don't work yourself up over this. There is nothing we can do for him now except watch over his body and bury him when it's over. If someone else was behind this, they will surely try again. If not, then we're safe."  
  
"I never want to be a spectator in my own body again." Merlin shudders. "Good thing you've some skill as a fighter. Thanks for not killing me outright." Merlin smiles, but he's still looking at the dying boy and his eyes are watery.  
  
"If you're cracking jokes at my expense, I'm not so worried about your mental state anymore," Arthur says. His hand leaves Merlin's shoulder. "We still have to go find the horses. We could... take the arrow out. Unplug the wound."  
  
"Help him along," Merlin replies, though his tone is anything but unaffected. "I'll do it," he says.  
  
"If you wish," Arthur allows.  
  
Merlin kneels next to the boy's head. He puts his hand flat on the boy with the arrow between his outstretched thumb and pointer finger. A sense of the boy's life comes to him through the touch. His other hand grips the arrow. Without hesitation, he yanks the arrow free.


	3. The boy's story part 1

Merlin stands in a green clearing in the hazy light of morning.

In front of him stands the boy.

With them both standing up, Merlin notices just how short this boy is. If he's older than seven years, Merlin will eat his neckerchief.

The boy looks around. "I always loved it here."

Merlin looks around at what is now a meadow, but he does not recognize it. "Where are we?"

"I used to come here as a boy. With friends." He points. "Climbed that tree. Stayed too long up in the high branches on warm afternoons."

Merlin looks, and there is now a tree. "Are you not still a boy?" Merlin asks.

"So many memories. I haven't been back here in ages. Not since.... No, I am not still a boy."

"You look like one," Merlin points out.

"Do I?" the boy asks. "Unexpected."

"You sound like one, too. Your voice. But you speak like an adult," Merlin adds. "How did you come to be like this?"

"You mean like that back there? The creature?"

"Yes," Merlin says.

"I was on my way home from here. My friend and I were taken. There was a camp of men, criminals as opposed to soldiers, I think, but we were kept apart from them and we weren't there long. When we were being moved, my friend did something they didn't like. I wasn't with him when he did it. He was punished. I wasn't with him when he was punished. It was severe. He walked with a limp after that, and his wounds never seemed to heal. We both made it to our next location. He was sold there. I don't know what happened to him after that. I was moved again."

"You were kidnapped and trafficked," Merlin says.

"Yes." The boy pauses. "Yes, but at the next market town we stopped at I managed to slip away. By then it had been weeks of travel, or maybe months. I was far from home."

"Never easy," Merlin offers.

"No. I had no one. I couldn't read. The language was familiar, but the accents were strange. I didn't feel I could trust anyone I might want to ask for help, so I hid. In the night, I stole what I could and ran when I had to. I was eventually caught, but by then the men who had taken me had moved on. I was glad for that."


	4. The boy's story part 2

"But something else happened?" Merlin prompts.

"I was caught stealing from an old woman. It was just her and me, and she was upset but not unkind. She found me work and offered me a bed." He pauses again, lost in thought.

Merlin looks around again, and the details of the meadow stand out clearer than before. He can now see patches of color that imply flowers.

"I stayed there for many months. Eventually, I told her my story. I was a child, but she trusted me to know my own mind. She asked what I wanted to do. I told her I wanted to go home to my family, but that I was afraid of the journey and unaware of the route I would need to take. I still didn't really know where I was in relation to my home. She said there was a way she could help me. She had magic, you see."

"Yes," Merlin replies. "And she offered to use it for you?"

"She had grown to like me enough to allow me to make my own way home, if I wished. She offered, and I wanted to go so badly that I accepted. She made preparations, and a few days later she was ready for the spell that would help me get home. We had to go outdoors for her to perform the spell. I didn't ask why, at the time, but now I know she was worried about her house staying in one piece."

Merlin pictures the size of the creature when he and Arthur met it, compares it to the size of this boy, and thinks he can guess what happened next.

"She told me that once she had cast the spell, I would have the ability to get what I wanted just by wanting it. Then, she cast. I didn't feel any different at first. I thought that maybe focusing on going home would help, so I did that. Before I really knew what was happening, I was flying over treetops. I had transformed, and I hadn't even felt it. I was on my way home, albeit in a way I hadn't expected. I didn't even realize that I hadn't had the chance to thank the old woman, and it was some time before I thought of her again."


End file.
